The present invention relates to agricultural cultivating tools and, more particularly, to a two-piece cultivator shank assembly.
For many years, cultivator shanks called "spring teeth" have been utilized for soil cultivation. In general, a spring tooth is a rigid, generally flat, curved shank to which a soil-working tool, such as a shovel, may be fixedly attached to a bottom end thereof. Such a shank is usually rigidly mounted on a tool bar of a farm implement. When the bottom of the shank encounters an obstruction, such as a rock or root, the shank resiliently deflects.
Spring teeth shanks presently utilized are typically of one-piece construction and produce adequate results under ideal working conditions. However, obstacles are often encountered that either break a spring tooth shank or bend the shank to such an extent that the shank is damaged and does not spring back into position, requiring either removal or repair of the shank so that the soil may be adequately cultivated. Conventional spring teeth also tend to fracture at the mounting end thereof, thus, there is a need for additional strength at the mounting end of each spring tooth shank.
The prior art includes shanks that are of two-ply construction, resulting in a thick shank having greater total strength than a single-ply shank but having the disadvantage of being heavier than traditional shanks and, therefore, less likely to easily trip out of the ground when an obstruction is encountered. Shanks have also been devised to include various shapes and curves at an upper portion near the mounting end thereof, providing adequate flexibility when an obstruction is confronted. However, if such shanks are broken or bent after an encounter with a substantial object, the entire shank, including the upper formed portion, must be replaced or repaired.